Wish You Were Gone(76)

“Oh, honey.”

Hunter took a swig of coffee, then carefully twisted the cap back on. “So, it’s true. He was having an affair.”

She could see the disappointment all over his face. The heartbreak. Even as he tried to look unaffected. Her poor baby. Eighteen years old with the body of a man and still, he could so easily look like her baby.

Damn you, James.

“Listen, kiddo. That was a long time ago.” She wasn’t about to tell him there was a more recent woman. There was simply no point. “But your dad and I… things weren’t good.”

“I know. I did live in our house.” He pressed his lips together. “But still, it’s a dick move. And I’m sorry.” He looked her in the eye and she could see what a great effort it took. “I’m sorry he did that to you, Mom.”

His voice broke, and she hugged him so fiercely she was pretty sure she scared him. When she pulled back, she made him look her in the eye again. “You do not have to apologize for your father. Or for anyone, ever. We are not your responsibility. Do you understand me?”

He studied her face for a long moment. “Yeah. Okay. Yeah.”

Emma swallowed, and her throat was so tight it hurt. She felt like an idiot—the clueless, jilted wife. What he must think of her. He must be so ashamed. She wished she were smarter, better, cooler, more sophisticated, more self-assured. Gray would have known her husband was cheating, and she would have done something about it. She would have had the pride to know it wasn’t a reflection of her, but a statement on how weak her husband was.

Emma, however, couldn’t help thinking it was a statement on her. Because if he’d loved her enough, he wouldn’t have done it. He would have gotten help. He could have gotten better. It was as if James had found every way possible to show her how very little she meant to him.

“Mom? Are you okay?” Hunter asked.

She shook her head. Closure. Moving on. Doing something for herself. She grabbed her hammer and let out a barbaric scream as, with one swing, she took out the closest cabinet.

“I guess we’re doing the kitchen now,” Hunter said.



* * *



THAT NIGHT EMMA found herself staring at the TV in the living room, when the phone rang and kicked her brain into actual consciousness. The TV wasn’t on, and Emma couldn’t for the life of her imagine how long she’d been staring at it. She’d been walking through the room and had the sudden memory of the day she and James had bought the TV, probably one of the last decisions they’d made together. How big should they go? Was seventy inches overkill? The basement theater room had a projection screen. Should they put one in the living room, too? In the end, he’d ignored everything she’d had to say anyway and gone bigger, fancier, 4K, 3D, UH, whatever. She never used it anyway. Emma and her kids had often been confined to the top level of the house while James, the beast, roamed the floors below.

Gray’s name flashed on her phone screen. For the first time in days, she picked up.

“Hello, Gray.”

“Emma? Wow. I can’t believe you answered.”

Sarcasm. Perfect. “What do you want?”

“How long are you going to be mad at me?”

“I don’t know.” Emma straightened the throw pillows on the couch. “My crystal ball is in the shop.”

Gray blew out a breath, short and loud. “Fine. I just wanted to let you know that Charles and the estate lawyers want to send someone to your house to catalog all the sports memorabilia and get this whole thing over with.”

Emma fumed. “So why didn’t Charles call me? How is this any of your business?”

“He thought we were friends and it would be better coming from me.”

“Fine. But tell them no. The kids and I will do it.”

“Emma, I really think you should just let them take care of it,” Gray said. “Why create more work for yourself?”

“Well, I really don’t care what you think at the moment, Gray. Hunter and Kelsey and I will organize everything and pack up what’s meant for other people. We’ll be in touch with Charles and my estate lawyers then.”

She hit end and called up to the kids. Hunter came out of his room and roused Kelsey, who was most likely plugged into her headphones.

“What’s up?” Hunter asked, leaning on the railing.

“We have to go through all your dad’s stuff and sort it out for the lawyers,” Emma said.

Her kids exchanged a look. “Mom, seriously? We’re really doing that?” Kelsey asked.

“Doing what? Following your father’s last wishes? Yes, unfortunately, we have to.”

“This is bullshit!” Hunter snapped. “There’s no way I’m helping them take what’s rightfully mine.”

Emma felt suddenly exhausted. “Hunter, what exactly do you want me to do? Take Major League Baseball to court?”

“Maybe!” Kelsey cried. “It’s not fair.”

“I don’t even understand why you care, Kelsey,” Emma said. “You never followed any of these teams.”

“I know, but… but… I care because Hunter cares.” Kelsey threw up a hand. “And maybe that’s why you should care, too.”

“I do care. I just—”